HOW DO YOU HELP WITH SOMETHING YOU CAN’T CONTROL?
Junior golf parents deal with many challenges related to their young players. What tournaments should my boys play in? How can we get their confidence back after a bad round? How can we cheer them up when college coaches aren’t calling or emailing? Help them enjoy tournament golf instead of being too focused on rankings and results.
Drive, Chip, and Putt – Survive & Advance to Augusta
These can be hard, but there are things junior golf parents can do to help. Stay positive and show them golf is a just a game. Find them a great golf instructor and schedule a few lessons. Make sure they take a break from the game if they are getting frustrated or burned out.
As a parent, we always want to help, so what do you do when you can’t?
CURVE BALL THIS SUMMER – MYSTERIOUS WRIST INJURY
Dealing with a new issue this summer. Much different from 3-putts or missed greens. My oldest son heads off to college in August to play golf and was looking forward to his last chance to compete in some of his favorite junior events. All of sudden in late spring he started to mention that his wrist hurt following a round or range session. He didn’t seem too worried about it, so we didn’t address it right away.
Driving Range Battle – Top Golf vs. Drive Shack
A few weeks later he struggled in a local event and afterward told me he couldn’t release the club – I asked why, thinking he was just talking about something funky in his swing. He told me his wrist hurt too much if he let it go.
Of course, we went to the doctor, got some anti-inflammatories, and a brace that he could wear to protect it. We teased him that it was because of too much Xbox or holding his phone while watching Tik Tok. We hoped it would clear up in a couple weeks.
IT HAS BEEN AN ODD SUMMER
We don’t think the injury is terribly serious and while it has lingered for longer than expected, I am sure he will be playing golf again soon.
I am more writing this because of how strange it has felt to have my son injured an unable to participate in the activity he loves. He has tried to play a couple of times and can maybe get in a round before it flairs back up. I have seen friends deal with football, baseball, and soccer injuries with their young players, but never really worried about a golf injury.
Balancing Junior & College Golf
For the most part, my son has taken it well. He has followed the doctor’s instructions (for the most part) and he has even caddied for his younger brother a couple times in events he would have played in without the injury. He is still hoping to play in a tournament or two prior to college, but we will have to wait and see.
Consider this one junior golf parent hoping to avoid MRIs and surgical procedures!
Guess that is it – all I have share on this topic. Dealing with an injury to your junior golfer is an odd and difficult experience.
We will just take it slow, listen to the medical professionals, and hope that we will soon be worried about bogeys and tight par-4s instead of tendinitis, inflammation, and MRIs.